You have heard often that senior women shouldn’t wear black because it would enhance the wrinkles. People say that blondes look great in black. Black is a classic. Now what? To wear or not to wear black? This post empowers you to wear black at any age and look stunning.
- In the 1960s, Black Was Not for (Little) Girls
- Listen to Whether the Compliment Is on the Clothes or You
- Why Black Can Easily Become a Camouflage in Midlife
- Wear Black at Any Age with a Pop of Color
- You Can’t Go Wrong with A Little Black Dress
- Black Sheaths Are Chameleons in the Closet
- Dress Down a LBD with a Denim Shirt
In the 1960s, Black Was Not for (Little) Girls
When I was a child, my favorite color was black. Adults that black is not a color for a little girl. They said things like yellow looks great with your black hair, or red is a color for girls. My answer was that my hair is brown, not black, and black and brown look great together.
Listen to Whether the Compliment Is on the Clothes or You
One day Mom knitted skirt suits for my sister and me. My sister got a black one because the color looks great with her blonde hair, while I got a muted red one. The black washed my sister out, the muted red made me look sick. We got a lot of compliments on the skirt suits. However, today I understand that they complimented Mom’s really excellent job crafting them. They were not because we looked great in them.
In the last century, black was for widows to be worn in the year after their husbands passed away. It was the color of adult Protestants going to church. Kids would only wear it as Sunday’s Best when they were very light blond (like my sister). Consequently, I wasn’t eligible to wear black at any age. More on the history of wearing black.
Why Black Can Easily Become a Camouflage in Midlife
Just look around at what 40+ women wear a military ball. Most of them wear a black, classic gown. Many of them make this color choice to look leaner than they are. Since the majority applies this dressing trick, they seem to look all the same. Another example is the metro, tram, bus, airport, you name it. It’s a sea of black coats when you just look at mature women. Sure it’s a posh evergreen choice. And yes, many feel comfortable to blend in rather than stand out.
Wear color intentionally, not to to hide.
Wear Black at Any Age with a Pop of Color
Ever since I lived in New York State, I love all black with a touch of another color. A monochrome outfit can become pretty boring without it or without texture. More on monochromatic looks.
The above outfit features leather pants (smooth, a bit of shine), a corduroy shirt (texture, no shine), and a wool blazer (no texture, no shine). The silver pumps have a fin imprint like the scales of a fish (shine, small texture).
Stylist tip: Silver with black is a statement. Gold with black is a classic.
More on styling non-boring all neutral looks.
You Can’t Go Wrong with A Little Black Dress
… is what Mademoiselle reportedly said. More on Coco Chanel. It works for many dressing situations. You can style it for the office, a party, running errands, going out, and even for browsing the beach stores on vacation.
Every woman owes herself to own a LBD.
When your LBD is on the casual side, add pumps and an expensive belt as Casual Friday outfit.
Stylist tip: Pair inexpensive with expensive items.
Black Sheaths Are Chameleons in the Closet
No matter what color, jumpers are a great investment. They add so much possibilities to a wardrobe. You can wear a sheath as skirt, or create a downscaled dress-suit vibe with a sheath with a cardigan. Sheaths can go from a professional outfit in a corporate style to dinner by adding some bling.
In the next photo, the scarf’s print of classical gold bows and red roses on black backgroundadds a “pop of color”. This dress with blazer combination makes a chic business casual work outfit to wear black at any age.
See how you can wear black at any age and look stunning. #LBD #fashionover50 Click To Tweet
Photos: G. Kramm
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